Julia's Second Love
by Erica Took
Summary: A prequel to the 1984 novel, an insight on Julia's previous love cycle.


1984  
  
Julia's Second love  
  
It was a bland winter day in London, and Julia was just getting out of the Junior Anti-Sex League meeting in the Ministry of Love. As she passed the numerous tele-screens and Big Brother posters, she kept a straight face as to not give away her unhappiness in relation to the Party. She was tired of the monotony of the days. She was 19. It had been three years since she had lost her virginity with that Party member. OK, so she was in the Junior Anti-Sex League, but she didn't necessarily follow their principles. She was in it to protect herself, she was a mere hypocrite, to guarantee her survival. So she finally reached her flat and immediately got a shot of gin when she walked in. That oily stuff was nasty, but it kept her going at times.  
  
Oh, how boring her life was, how annoying that Party was. Oceania was at war with Eastasia (or was it Eurasia?), and the telescreen was yapping away at made-up war statistics.  
  
"Today we won the battle front with the Eastasians and took hold of several prisoners. It is a victory for Big Brother and the Party. As Big Brother predicted..." it went on, all the bullshit. She went to bed, more bored than ever.  
  
So in the morning, she awoke with the tele-screen alarm and did her morning exercises. She hated that woman who gave the instructions. Yet she needed to look happy and content at the annoying figure. Out she went to the Ministry of Truth, to do her boring, monotonous, daily work. At this time, she was working at the photo alteration section. She was cutting away, gluing here, gluing there, when the tele-screen announced lunch-time. She left her things the way they were and directed herself to the grey, drab, boring cafeteria.  
  
There she got in line to get the vomit-like food. It was nasty! She sat down, but at the corner of her eyes she saw a man. He was a beautiful man! She heart began to race, as she remembered her first affair some three years ago. I could do that all over again! She thought as she gulped down the pink, chunky stuff. As she bit into her saccharine tablet she planned her approach. She would write him a note, and they would somehow figure out a way to meet. Yes, she thought, the tele-screens would never catch me! She looked down at the red sash of the Junior Anti-Sex League around her hips and laughed internally, oh, if they knew, she thought, I would be erased! She finished up her food and went back to work, somehow content and excited about her new adventure.  
  
The next day at work, as she was cutting and pasting pictures, she managed to dodge the tele-screen and write down the miniscule note:  
  
I Love You!  
  
And crumpled it in her hand. Now, how would she give it to him? Curiously, one would think how dangerous all that was, she didn't even research anything about this man. He could easily be of the Inner Party or even the Thought Police. But she was young and careless, somehow she thought she could get away with anything. Lunch bell rang, and she sprang up, and discretely looked around for her love's head. She spotted the handsome thing. Brown hair, neatly distributed about his head, and the deepest green eyes ever. He was hers. So she walked over to where he would pass on the opposite direction and walked slowly. He was coming! So she walked towards him, fast and pretended not to see him. They bumped into each other and she threw herself on the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry," he exclaimed. "I'll help you up." He gave her his hand and she slipped him the note. He sort of fumbled but dared not look at the tele-screen beside them.  
  
"Thank you!" She nodded and headed on to the lunchroom. She was so nervous. What if he hates me? What if he thinks I'm ugly? What if the telescreen saw? She couldn't even eat right.  
  
That night she didn't sleep. She was too nervous.  
  
Meanwhile, in his room, down the road form Julia, Steven pondered on that note he received from that young beautiful girl in the hallways at work. I Love You. The words resounded in his head as if he were saying them aloud. He had never noticed this girl before. All of a sudden she seemed like someone he had known for ever. He wondered what her name was. It was probably something beautiful. He was hoping he could have sex with her, but frowned in his mind as he remembered that dratted red sash round her hips. Damn that Anti-sex League! Still, he didn't care. He wanted to feel a woman by his side. He was tired of those prole whores. Those with pounds of paint on their faces and stinky clothes. Just the excitement of a clean, Party member kept him up all night.  
  
Steven was an active member of the Party. He worked in the Ministry of Truth in the Newspeak area. He was taking part in elaborating the new Newspeak Dictionary, and he liked it. He was strongly blinded by the Party. Doublethink worked on him effectively. Oceania was always at war with Eastasia, even though sometimes he swears it wasn't so, maybe. But he was overall thankful for the Party to have rid the world of those capitalists with their top hats.  
  
The next day at lunchtime, Julia and Steven exchanged looks in line. Dodging the telescreen, she managed to catch up with him. Looking in opposite directions, he slipped a note in her red sash, very discretely. Julia melted inside just to feel his fingers over the sash.  
  
When lunch ended, Julia quickly went back to her cubicle and between the many cut up photographs she opened the note, it said:  
  
Hello, my name is Steven, in case you were wondering. I am curious about you, how do you love me? We can talk better at this address at 9 o'cl0ock tonight: 2434 4th block, 2nd lot, A wing. See you there.  
  
He was mad! She thought. A prole neighborhood? What if the Thought Police saw? But she trusted Steven somehow and disregarded her concerns. It's for a greater good, she thought.  
  
Cautiously, she made her way to the given address and was surprised to find a prole pub at 2434. It was a dingy, dodgy place, but good enough. She walked in and immediately noticed Steven sitting in an obscure corner. He was drinking a pint of dark beer and was drumming his fingers on the table. When he took notice of her entry, he signaled with a wave and a beautiful smile. She sat herself next to him.  
  
"Hi," she said. "Hello," he answered, "might I know your name?" "Julia." "Lovely! Please, tell me what made you take an interest in me so suddenly?" "Well," she smiuled nervously, "I saw you in lunch three days ago, and thought you looked nice, I feel like having an adventure with you." "What sort of adventure?" And he indiscretely looked at her red sash. "This is bull, I don't believe in it." "Oh, I see, that is very good." He smiled and noticed that Julia was tense and looking around. "There are no telescreens here, Julia." "Oh, good!" And without warning she kissed him. And they stayed kissing for a long time.  
  
Isabele, reunião amnhã bianca12:30 


End file.
